The Entrepreneur and the Customers: a Quiet Conflict

• Main Author: Timo Airaksinen, PhD (Turku), Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydziału Zarządzania Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego 2019-01-01
• Series: Problemy Zarządzania
• Subjects: desire; need; marketing; conflict; customer
• Online Access: http://pz.wz.uw.edu.pl/gicid/01.3001.0013.3376

From the point of view of conflict theory, I argue for the following pessimistic conclusion: a silent conflict of interests exists between the entrepreneur and the customer, as the former must advertise and promote his/her innovations and merchandise. It looks innocent enough, but by doing so, the entrepreneur interferes with the needs and desires of the customer, and especially with the latter’s conditional needs even when the customer does not appreciate it, or when the entrepreneur does it against the customer’s will. From the customer’s point of view, it is disturbing and negatively affects his/her happiness level. What are, therefore, the responsibilities of the entrepreneur? I provide a detailed analysis of the concept of need and desire, and explain how desires develop on the basis of the desirability of objects of desire. It shall allow us to see how desires can be manipulated and, perhaps, how such manipulation can be avoided. JEL: M31, Z12 null The creation of the English-language version of these publications is fi nanced in the framework of contract No. 607/P-DUN/2018 by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education committed to activities aimed at the promotion of education.